QR code phishing scams have doubled in India in the last year, here’s how to avoid them

QR code scam

Digital payment fraud has seen a rise in India in the last few years. Recently, a new report shared by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revealed that these frauds have grown more than five times, and a total of Rs 14.57 billion have been accessed by scammers in total.

Now, Check Point Software Technologies has released a new report stating that QR phishing UPI scams had increased from 15,000 cases in 2022 to a staggering 30,000 cases in 2023. They have attributed this rise in scam cases to increased usage of mobile phones for digital payments and a lack of awareness regarding cybersecurity measures.

Further, the report also states hackers are constantly finding new methods to deploy tampered QR codes to access different user’s money. These scammers use fake QR codes to lure people to fraudulent websites and then steal their bank account details to gather money.

Using a QR code to be scanned by a phone camera, the scammers redirect users to fraudulent websites. This website can be a duplicate of a genuine e-commerce or bank website and asks for the personal details of the user. It also then asks users to enter their UPI PIN or OTP to complete the transaction.

QR code phishing scams: How to avoid

To ensure that you are safeguarded from such frauds or phishing scams, you can follow these steps.

Do not scan any anonymous QR code until it’s verified or has a blue tick.
Do not click on unverified or unfamiliar links leading to fraudulent banking websites.
Implement basic safety measures including AI-based softwares that can detect phishing websites.
Avoid clicking a shortened URL link or links that are embedded in emails.